There is a clear understanding and mutual respect between Guardiola and Silva, one of the key reasons why he was handed the armband at the start of this season following the departure of De Bruyne.
Guardiola professed his “love” for Silva earlier this season, saying he had a “weakness” for the 31-year-old and enthusing how the player was “always there” even during the lows of last season when the team finished third in the Premier League and failed to win a major trophy for the first time in nearly a decade.
Silva told BBC Sport in December that Guardiola has been a “massive” influence on his career and that his boss has a “special affection for me” having played under him for nine years and enjoyed a trophy-laden era.
The Portuguese midfielder is one short of 450 City appearances in all competitions and all of those have come under Guardiola – no player has been selected more times by the ex-Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager.
He has managed only three goals and five assists this season but it is his leadership qualities and reliability that Guardiola rates so highly in Silva, who has played in more Premier League games than any City player this season.
His hardworking nature has seen Silva clock up a team-high 304.9km distance travelled during those games, while his carrying ability has allowed him to notch a total of 5,094m with the ball at his feet, a number unmatched by any team-mate.
Of top-flight players who have played more than 1,200 minutes this season, only four average more distance covered per 90 minutes than Silva’s 12.17km.
Even when Silva was sent off for a deliberate foul against Real Madrid in the Champions League, which effectively ended any hope of a comeback, Guardiola did not attach blame to the player for the action, saying it was “instinctive”.
Former City midfielder Michael Brown said Silva is a “brilliant player” and called his performance against Arsenal last Sunday “infectious, clever and cute”.
He added on City TV: “He comes alive – when it feels dead he makes things happen. Bernardo doesn’t always do something special but he is just there, he is a team player and someone you would always pick.
“He is someone who says, ‘I’ll drop in at left-back, I’ll go on the right and create problems later on’. He has a bit of everything to his game and is unselfish. That is what is different, he is not necessarily a match-winner.”
Silva’s contract expires at the end of the season and there is no clear indication as to whether he will stay or leave.
In September, he said he knows “exactly” what he is going to do when his deal comes to an end, without actually revealing what that is.
He has not yet signed an extension and has been linked with the likes of La Liga leaders Barcelona, Serie A side Juventus and clubs in America.
City are understood to be interested in signing Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson in the summer, a move that may well transpire whether Silva leaves or not.
But how do City go about replacing a player like Silva with this chapter in his career possibly about to close?
“You don’t replace him, he is in many ways irreplaceable,” said former City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips. “He doesn’t have a position, he is everywhere.”
Ex-City women’s captain Steph Houghton added: “There is nobody that can do what he does. With Bernardo, he is a different kind of leader to Kompany or Fernandinho.
“A lot of it is through performances and about him leading the boys in doing certain things, you can’t fault his effort every single time he pulls on a Manchester City shirt.
“No matter where he is playing, he gives absolutely everything.”
His role out of possession has been paramount to City’s revival in the second part of the season too. The game against Liverpool earlier this season showcased the City captain’s tactical understanding of how and when to press.
City cut off passing lanes to Virgil van Dijk, forcing the ball to Ibrahima Konate, the weaker of Liverpool’s two ball-playing centre-backs.
Phil Foden pressed Konate when the ball went out to him and Silva was tasked with deciding which of the midfielders to press, Ryan Gravenberch or Alexis Mac Allister, something he did intelligently.
Liverpool made tweaks of their own by dropping Gravenberch into the right of what later became a back three. It was Silva here who amended City’s press, negating Liverpool‘s change.
Foden continued to press the right centre-back, Gravenberch, while Silva switched between pressing Mac Allister and Konate, who was now positioned in the middle of the back three.
It’s easy for the small details to be missed by fans but Silva’s contributions are indispensable for his manager, who said in November: “He doesn’t score too many goals or is not involved in all the assists but he gives us something that is not in the stats, and a lot of things that are incredibly valuable to us.
[He is] absolutely one of the best players I have ever trained in my career.”
Source: BBC
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